Amos Claycomb’s October & November 1904 Diary

Saturday, October 1, 1904
It has been a nice day.
I went over to DeKalb with a load of apples for cider this morning and this afternoon is went over on the car to see a football game.
After supper I went up town on the pony.

Sunday, October 2, 1904
It has been cloudy today and cool.
I have staid home all day.

Monday, October 3, 1904
It has been a nice day only a little cold.
I went up town to a republican rally tonight.

Tuesday, October 4, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and fairly warm and tonight it rained very hard with quite a little hail.
I went up town after supper on the pony.

Wednesday, October 5, 1904
It has been partly cloudy and cool.
Marion Webster who is staying up at Grandma’s with Aunt Jennie came out to stay over night.
While studying tonight the fire whistle blew and I went up town on the pony but it was only a false alarm.

Thursday, October 6, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today and very cool.
I walked to school and part of the way home.
Grandma is so weak now that she is in bed most of the time.

Friday, October 7, 1904
It has been cloudy and cold most of the day.
Uncle Will took Marian, Louise and me over to DeKalb in his automobile after school.
I went up town on the car after supper.

Saturday, October 8, 1904
It has been partly cloudy and fairly warm.
I worked at home this forenoon but went to see a football game this afternoon between Syc. and Sandwich H.S.  Syc. won by a score of 46 to 0.
I went up to the Catholic bazaar after supper and danced for a while.

Sunday, October 9, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and a strong south-west wind has been blowing.
I have staid home all day.

Monday, October 10, 1904
It has been cloudy nearly all day and it sprinkled quite a little this afternoon.
I walked to and from school.

Tuesday, October 11, 1904
It has been a very nice day.
I walked to and from school and went up to the Catholic bazaar tonight.

Wednesday, October 12, 1904
It has been cloudy and a little cold all day.
Aunt Georgie Yates had a little baby boy last night.  She lives now in Boise, Idaho.

Thursday, October 13, 1904
It has been a nice day.
I went up town on the car after supper and went up to the bazaar and danced for a while.

Sunday, October 16, 1904
It has been cloudy all day but not cold.
I ate supper at the church tonight.

[This is the end of the October entries.]

Monday, November 7, 1904
Mrs. Hill, Louise, Edward and I started for the world’s fair at St. Louis and got here early this morning.  We soon found a place to stay near the grounds.
We started for the ground this forenoon and visited the buildings of Varied Industries, Forestry and Fisheries and then went thru most of the Philippine exhibit before dark.  After that we went to the Pike for a little while and then came home.

Tuesday, November 8, 1904
It has been a very nice day.
I have been going around the fair all day.
Tonight I watched the election returns on the “Pike” for a while.
Theodore Roosevelt won over Alton B. Parker by a very large majority.

Thursday, November 10, 1904
I have been going around the Fair all day but the weather was cloudy and cold.
Mrs. Hill, Louise and Edward started home tonight and I went with them to the depot.
Then I went to the Olympic Theater and saw the play “Ben Hur.”

Friday, November 11, 1904
It has been a fairly nice day but pretty cold.
I went around the Fair all day and saw the Boer War and several air-ships on exhibition and after dark I went to a few shows on the Pike.  I started home tonight.

Saturday, November 12, 1904
It has been cloudy part of the day.
I arrived in Chicago this morning and staid there all day as I went to see Ezra Kendall play in “Weather-beaten Benson” this afternoon.
I arrived in Sycamore about eight o’clock tonight.

Wednesday, November 16, 1904
Papa, George and Charles Townsend started for the “Fair” tonight and expect to come back Sunday.  Edward and I are doing the chores.

Thursday, November 24, 1904
It has been a very nice day.
We all went up to the Baptist Church for dinner today where we were invited by Grandma.
This afternoon I went over to DeKalb to a football game where I kept time with Ray Love.

[This is the end of the November entry.]

Jeanie’s Birthday

My sister often celebrated her birthday during the Memorial Day weekend, so this is my salute to her birth of 74 years ago.

Do you still get the footprint (and mother’s fingerprint) on these today?

She was born in Hollywood, California, but I can’t see the advantage of that!!  And she was the firstborn.  And as the youngest, I cannot see great shakes about being the oldest.

Jean and Tom with Dad

One of Jeanie’s birthday parties. Tom on the left; Jeanie with the dark hair. I know that is an Army blanket they’re sitting on – scratchy!

She was definitely the prettiest.  And had that naturally curly hair that I could only dream of.

Jeanie with Mom.

She was creative, considerate, lots of fun, and a great older sister.

Grandpa Claycomb with Jeanie, Lakeside, California.

Jeanie with Polar, Lakeside, California

Jeanie’s Senior picture, Grossmont High School, 1956.

Her life was only 53 years long, hardly time to get things figured out.  I’m still working on it for myself.  Miss you, Sis.

Amos Claycomb’s July & August 1904 Diary

Amos skipped writing many days in 1904.  He’s 18 – maybe he had other things on his mind.

Saturday, July 2, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today and cool.
I picked strawberries for a little while this morning and then hoed corn.
This afternoon I rode the pony up town and also after supper.

Sunday, July 3, 1904
It has been cloudy nearly all day and it sprinkled a little after supper.
All the folks from Grandma Townsend’s were out for dinner today.
I have given up the milk business and George and Edward now have it with more customers.

Monday, July 4, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today.
I have been up town all day and danced both this afternoon and tonight.  Sycamore celebrated this year and there was a very large crowd.

Tuesday, July 5, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today and very warm.
I have hoed corn all day and after supper I went up to the Club to a reception given by the daughters of the members.

[Here ends July 1904.]

Monday, August 1, 1904
It has been a nice day.
I with Charlie Kellum began to haul tile for Uncle Fred from Cortland to one of his farms this morning.  We rode thirty-five miles on a lumber wagon.

Tuesday, August 2, 1904
It has been a little cloudy.
We hauled tile all day.  I am getting $4 a day on account of the team.

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Friday, August 19, 1904
It has been raining all day.
I staid home all day but went over to DeKalb after supper to see a show.

Saturday, August 20, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today.
I have worked around home all day but went up to the Club after supper.

Sunday, August 21, 1904
It was partly cloudy until the middle of the afternoon when it commenced to rain and is still raining at eight.
I have staid home all day.

Monday, August 22, 1904
It has been a nice day.
I pulled weeds for a while this morning and then helped fix a fence.
I went to the Chautauqua this afternoon and heard Sam P. Parks lecture and went up town after supper.

[The diary is blank until October.]

Hospital Birth Costs 1946

These are the charges for the maternity ward at Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California in 1946.  To be paid in advance.   And this is the actual bill for my birth – they got a refund!!

And I also have the receipt for the certified birth certificate.  It was purchased at the same place you would get a permit for a cess pool or to remove human remains – I was listed under ‘sundry and unclassified’ – not very complimentary.

At 8 months, a diet schedule was prepared for me.  Scraped beef – Ymmmm!

I think they got their money’s worth!

 

Amos Claycomb’s June 1904 Diary

Wednesday, June 1, 1904
It has been a very nice day but it is clouding up tonight.
I played ball at the park for a while after school.

Thursday, June 2, 1904
It has been cloudy or rainy all day but has only sprinkled.
I went to a Class party tonight given by Neal Blackford and Spencer Harman and had a very nice time.

Friday, June 3, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and pretty warm.  The wind blew very strong from the west tonight and it rained hard for a short time.
I went up to the Club after supper.

Saturday, June 4, 1904
It rained last night and this morning pretty hard and has sprinkled two or three times during the day.
I took the milk up this morning and then mowed the lawn.
I staid home all the afternoon but went up to the Club after supper.
Eleanor came home from college tonight.

Sunday, June 5, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and a strong westerly wind has been blowing.
I took the milk up to the factory this morning.
It is George’s birthday and he is fifteen years old.

Monday, June 6, 1904
It rained a little this morning and has been cloudy most of the day.

Tuesday, June 7, 1904
It has been cloudy and cold all day.
I had a hair-cut after school and then went down to the Club for a short time.

Wednesday, June 8, 1904
It has been a fairly nice day.
I rode the pony up town after supper and went to the Club.

Thursday, June 9, 1904
It has been a very nice day.
After school I went to see a ballgame at the Electric Park between DeKalb and Syc. H.Ss.  The former won in a very interesting game by a score of 4 to 3, the winning score being made in the last half of the ninth inning.

Friday, June 10, 1904
It has been a very nice day.
I went to a party tonight given by Professor and Mrs. Adee to the two upper classes of the High School.

Saturday, June 11, 1904
It has been a nice day although a little cloudy.
I took the customers’ milk up this morning but came right back and mowed the lawn.  I went to a ballgame at the Park this afternoon when S.H.S. beat Lewis Institute of Chicago by a score of 8 to 4.  I went up to the Club after supper.

Sunday, June 12, 1904
It has been a very nice day.
I took the milk up this morning and after supper went up to the Bacca       sermon given for the 1904 Class at the Opera House.  [I think the spelling of Baccalaureate was too much for him.]

Monday, June 13, 1904
It has been very warm today although partly cloudy.
I walked to and from school.

Tuesday, June 14, 1904
It has been a nice day although partly cloudy.
I went up to the Club for a little while after supper.

Wednesday, June 15, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and it sprinkled a little this afternoon.

Thursday, June 16, 1904
It has been fair and cool all day.
School let out today for the summer vacation and I am now a Senior in the High School.  I went up after supper to hear the exercises for the graduating class.

Friday, June 17, 1904
It has been a nice day.
I took the milk to the factory this morning and this afternoon I went up town.

Saturday, June 18, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today and very warm.
I took the milk and mowed the yard this forenoon and after dinner I hoed thistles.  After supper I went up to the Club.

Sunday, June 19, 1904
It has been partly cloudy but very warm.
I took the milk up this morning but have staid home all the rest of the day.

Monday, June 20, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and this afternoon it rained very hard for a while.
I took the milk up this morning and this afternoon I pulled mustard until it rained.
I went up to the Club after supper.

Tuesday, June 21, 1904
It has been a nice day only a little cool.
I cut weeds all this afternoon and went up to the Club after supper.

Wednesday, June 22, 1904
It has been a nice day.
I picked strawberries for a little while this morning and hoed potatoes for a while after dinner.
I went up town after supper.

[The rest of the month is blank.]

Red or White Flowers for Mother’s Day

Harriet Duncan Claycomb, Ruth Bressler Claycomb, Richard Claycomb, Frank Claycomb, Donna Claycomb, Roy Davis. 1966.

It was just the tradition when I was growing up, I never thought much about it.  On Mother’s Day you wore a red flower if your mother was living and a white one if she had died.  When I look at this photo taken in 1966, it makes me cry.  On the left, Mom, who was only 51 then, wears the white flower for her mother who died when Mom was 12.  Grandma Claycomb who wears a white flower which is to be expected as she is about 70.  Then come two of her sons, Richard and Frank, who get to wear red flowers and be with their mother.  I also get a red flower and get to be with my mom.  Uncle Roy, just at the edge of the photo would have been holding a white flower.

I had no idea then how precious it would be to be able to have the red flower.

 

Pigs & People Frustrations

Most of us have photos with no names, dead ends on finding someone’s parents and other genealogical puzzles.  And for me, just to add to that frustration is that I have photos of dogs, horses, cows, and even pigs with their names and, in this case, her pedigree.  From 1928.

I want so much to find my great grandmother’s family, but what I get help with is knowing that Smooth Lady 2nd’s mother was Topsy!  And in case you were wondering, here’s her photo.

Well, I salute Smooth Lady 2nd.  Her family tree will survive.

Amos Claycomb’s May 1904 Diary

Sunday, May 1, 1904
It has been clear most of the day but a little cold.
I took the milk up this morning and went up town for a little while after supper.

Monday, May 2, 1904
It has been clear nearly all day.
I went into Chicago today to get some new clothes and saw a baseball game between the Pittsburg and Chicago teams of the National League.  Chicago won by a score of 8 to 5.  Uncle Will helped me pick out the clothes but had to go away then.

Tuesday, May 3, 1904
It has been a very nice day.
I played ball for a little while after school at the park.

Wednesday, May 4, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today and pretty warm.
I played ball for a while after school tonight.

Thursday, May 5, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and it sprinkled a little last this afternoon.
We began taking the cows to pasture this morning.
I went down to the Club and played billiards for a little while after school.

Friday, May 6, 1904
It has been cloudy nearly all day and tonight it rained very hard.
I went out to a private dance at the pavilion tonight with Miss Jeness and had a very nice time but got pretty wet.  I staid up to Grandma’s all night.

Saturday, May 7, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day.
I took the milk up town this morning and after dinner I went over to DeKalb to see a game between the Syc. and DeKalb H.S. baseball teams.  The latter won 5 to 4.
I went up town for a little while after supper.

Sunday, May 8, 1904
It has been cloudy all day and this afternoon it has been raining very hard.
I took the customers’ milk up this morning.
Papa went to Morrisson tonight on behalf of the school board.

Monday, May 9, 1904
It has been cloudy and clear by spells today but rained pretty hard from twelve to four o’clock.
I played billiards and pool at the Club for a little while after school.

Tuesday, May 10, 1904
It has been a very nice day but a little cooler than usual.
I played ball for a little while after school.

Wednesday, May 11, 1904
It rained a little last night and has been partly cloudy today.

Thursday, May 12, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and tonight it has been raining quite a little.
I went up town for a little while after supper tonight.

Friday, May 13, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today and a little cold with a strong west wind.
I went up town for a while after supper tonight.

Saturday, May 14, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the day and cold with a strong westerly wind.
I took the milk this morning and then went out in the field on a pulverizer.
This afternoon I worked around the house and after supper I went up to the Club for a while.

Sunday May 15, 1904
It has been a nice day only a little cool.
I took the milk up this morning in the buggy but have staid home the rest of the day.

Monday, May 16, 1904
It has been cloudy nearly all day.
I staid out of school and went to a May fete at the Waterman Hall this afternoon which was very good.

Tuesday, May 17, 1904
It has been a nice day only cloudy part of the time.
I walked to and from school and played billiards for a little while after school.

Wednesday, May 18, 1904
It has been a fairly nice day.
I stepped on a nail this morning which ran thru my shoe into my foot and I have been pretty lame all day.

Thursday, May 19, 1904
It sprinkled a little last night and has been partly cloudy today.
Papa is having the barns moved around now into better shapes.  The ones that are being moved are the big hay barn and the granary.

Friday, May 20, 1904
It has been clear all day and pretty warm.
I went to a lecture tonight given by Mr. Adee, in the High School, on Yellowstone Park which was very good.

Saturday, May 21, 1904
It has been a nice day and very warm.
I worked around the barns all of the forenoon and this afternoon I went to a ballgame between Syc. and DeKalb H.S. at the park.  DeKalb won a very exciting game by a score of 8 to 5.  I went up to the Club after supper.

Sunday, May 22, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today but very warm.
I drove up with the customers’ milk right after breakfast.

Monday, May 23, 1904
It rained a little last night and has been partly cloudy today.  It sprinkled a little about noon.
I played pool for a little while after school tonight.

Tuesday, May 24, 1904
It has been cloudy nearly all day and is a litter cooler than usual tonight.
I went up to the Club after supper for a little while.

Wednesday, May 25, 1904
It has been partly cloudy today and pretty warm.
I drove up town in the buggy after supper and staid for a while at the Club.

Thursday, May 26, 1904
It rained quite hard this morning and has been cloudy most of the day.
I went to a reception tonight which as given by the Seniors to the Juniors in the High School.

Friday, May 27, 1904
It has been a very nice day only a little cool.
I went over to DeKalb tonight to an Oratorical Contest among five High Schools.

Saturday, May 28, 1904
It has been cloudy most of the game [sic?] but fairly warm.
I took the milk up this morning and worked around home.
This afternoon I went to a ballgame at the park when Syc. H.S. beat Marengo H.S. by a score of 10 to 9 in ten innings but the game was poorly played.
I went up to the Club after supper.

Sunday, May 29, 1904
It has been cloudy all day and raining most of the time although not very hard.
I took the milk up to the factory this morning but have staid home all the rest of the day.

Monday, May 30, 1904
It has been cloudy nearly all day and pretty cold.
It is Decoration Day and there was no school and I have been at the Club most of the time.

Tuesday, May 31, 1904
It has been a nice day.
We about finished planting all our corn tonight and have about 120 acres.